Ask The Naked Scientists SA

Could Lightning Power a Town?

What gives a flame its colour, and what is the hottest part? What limits the height of a skyscraper? How does post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV work? How do they put the lines on a clay tennis court? Why do some songs cause goose-pimples? Why are some people better at withstanding…

15 Jun 2012 20 min

Can Aeroplanes run on Diesel?

Are premium-priced fuels really worth the extra cost? Why are males born with nipples? Is a male contraceptive pill in the offing? Do all animals get the same number of heartbeats? Does any one organ failing cause death? Can aeroplanes run on diesel? Why does silver tarnish? What causes lightning?…

18 May 2012 23 min

How long can a human heart remain stopped?

What causes jaundice in newborn babies? What is vitiligo? How do liquids behave in space? What causes cardiac arrests? What would happen if Earth span in reverse? What is Bell's Palsy? What are quarks? And how do hiccups occur? Join Dr Chris for this week's crop of questions from South…

23 Mar 2012 21 min

Why do Bubbles go Down in Guinness?

What does the genetic fingerprint of Ozti, the 5300-year-old Alpine iceman, reveal? Why do the bubbles in a glass of Guinness appear to be defying the laws of physics? Could we replace food with pills? Why did a dead bee still sting me? Is there any evidence that Voodoo does…

2 Mar 2012 20 min

Are insecticides painful for insects?

Why is amputation necessary in cases of gangrene? What is aspartame and can it cause Alzheimer's? What's the basis of the Atkins Diet? How is melanin made and is neuromelanin the same stuff? Why do objects in the rear view mirror appear closer than they are? Are insecticidal deaths painful…

17 Feb 2012 20 min

What causes Deja vu?

What is freezing rain, do cats control their owners, how do accents arise, why does hair go grey, what is the origin of deja vu, why did my glass table spontaneously explode and is the world population becoming more or less genetically diverse? Dr Chris tackles this week's round up…

10 Feb 2012 20 min

What is a hydatidiform mole?

This week we debate whether wounds should be left open or covered up, why toenails - but not thumbnails - ingrow, what is hydatid disease, whether we can tag people to track them for life, what causes ringworm, the difference between a TIA and a stroke and what happens to…

27 Jan 2012 23 min

The Naked Scientist

The Naked Scientist, Chris Smith is back with us this week and we opened the lines taking your science questions on any subject. This week Chris shared insight into a new injection that may cause people to lose weight and whether pigeons are able to identify each other.

11 Nov 2011 22 min

Is the ice in the freezer edible?

How do doctors name phobias? Is the ice on the freezer sides safe to eat? What is the low-frequency hum I can hear? Is pipe tobacco tar good for cuts and sores? Why do birthmarks persist? What keeps the head so hot? Why are animals alarmed by loud noises? A…

10 Jun 2011 21 min

Is the ice in the freezer edible?

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10 Jun 2011 21 min

Why scratch your head if you don't know the answer? What about the Earth made the dinosaurs so big? Why does the Universe spin? Is the Sun seem brighter in the morning than the evening? Are autistic people particularly at home with computers? Why do effervescent tablets fizz only in…

18 Feb 2011 3 min

What if the Moon went AWOL?

Why scratch your head if you don't know the answer? What about the Earth made the dinosaurs so big? Why does the Universe spin? Is the Sun seem brighter in the morning than the evening? Are autistic people particularly at home with computers? Why do effervescent tablets fizz only in…

19 Mar 2010 30 min

Lightning, Radiation and the Northern Lights!

Why scratch your head if you don't know the answer? What about the Earth made the dinosaurs so big? Why does the Universe spin? Is the Sun seem brighter in the morning than the evening? Are autistic people particularly at home with computers? Why do effervescent tablets fizz only in…

18 Mar 2010 27 min

Spaceships, Sun Rays and Glowing Skies!

Why scratch your head if you don't know the answer? What about the Earth made the dinosaurs so big? Why does the Universe spin? Is the Sun seem brighter in the morning than the evening? Are autistic people particularly at home with computers? Why do effervescent tablets fizz only in…

12 Mar 2010 29 min

Why do we find Bottoms Attractive?

Why scratch your head if you don't know the answer? What about the Earth made the dinosaurs so big? Why does the Universe spin? Is the Sun seem brighter in the morning than the evening? Are autistic people particularly at home with computers? Why do effervescent tablets fizz only in…

5 Mar 2010 32 min

What Do the Dimples Do on a Golf Ball?

Why scratch your head if you don't know the answer? What about the Earth made the dinosaurs so big? Why does the Universe spin? Is the Sun seem brighter in the morning than the evening? Are autistic people particularly at home with computers? Why do effervescent tablets fizz only in…

26 Feb 2010 24 min

Love and Our Universe

Why scratch your head if you don't know the answer? What about the Earth made the dinosaurs so big? Why does the Universe spin? Is the Sun seem brighter in the morning than the evening? Are autistic people particularly at home with computers? Why do effervescent tablets fizz only in…

19 Feb 2010 29 min

Earth, Space and Winning the Lottery!

Why scratch your head if you don't know the answer? What about the Earth made the dinosaurs so big? Why does the Universe spin? Is the Sun seem brighter in the morning than the evening? Are autistic people particularly at home with computers? Why do effervescent tablets fizz only in…

12 Feb 2010 25 min

Spontaneous Combustion and Smellovision

Why scratch your head if you don't know the answer? What about the Earth made the dinosaurs so big? Why does the Universe spin? Is the Sun seem brighter in the morning than the evening? Are autistic people particularly at home with computers? Why do effervescent tablets fizz only in…

3 Feb 2010 30 min

Do Strip Lights Flash Beneath Power Lines?

Why scratch your head if you don't know the answer? What about the Earth made the dinosaurs so big? Why does the Universe spin? Is the Sun seem brighter in the morning than the evening? Are autistic people particularly at home with computers? Why do effervescent tablets fizz only in…

29 Jan 2010 26 min